Founder · Strategist · Builder
Martin
Ekechukwu
Brand strategist, founder, and cultural architect operating at the intersection of AI, media, and human connection.
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Founder · Strategist · Builder
Brand strategist, founder, and cultural architect operating at the intersection of AI, media, and human connection.
Raised between Nigeria and the Czech Republic, Martin Ekechukwu landed in Arkansas of all places. That fish-out-of-water stretch, figuring out how to move in rooms that were not built for him, is exactly where the range started making sense. From a track at the University of Arkansas to shaping brand strategy at the highest levels of CPG, entertainment, and tech — three continents, one trajectory, always moving forward.
After an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business and formative years at Toyota, Bacardi, and Pernod Ricard, Martin pivoted to building. Village Tea Company. WHTWRKS. A-Frame Brands. FullScale Holdings. Each venture a distinct expression of the same instinct: find where culture and commerce collide, then build something durable there.
Media runs deep. WHTWRKS was born inside ViacomCBS — shaped by the infrastructure, the relationships, and the creative muscle of one of the most powerful media companies on the planet. That foundation informed everything: how Martin thinks about distribution, audience, and the machinery behind culture. A technical founder who moves between boardrooms and build cycles.
Today he's focused on FullScale — an AI-powered media infrastructure company for the creator economy — while continuing to mentor, speak, and co-host The Quiet Truth Podcast with author Enitan Bereola.
Selected collaborations & partnerships
Pharrell Williams' entrepreneurship competition honoring founders reshaping the future. Martin was selected alongside a cohort of the country's most compelling Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
A feature on Martin and WHTWRKS — and the pivotal moment when PepsiCo called during the summer of 2020 asking for help telling the real story. A candid, magazine-length examination of what it actually means for brands to show up for the communities they profit from.
Co-hosted with author and speaker Enitan Bereola, The Quiet Truth is an honest conversation about business, culture, and identity — the things people think but rarely say out loud. Available on your favourite podcast platform.
From SXSW to Advertising Week, Martin speaks on brand-building, the creator economy, AI infrastructure, and what it means to build with purpose. He also mentors young Black men annually at Duke's Fuqua School of Business.
Whether you're an investor, a founder, a brand, or someone with a compelling idea — Martin's approach starts with a conversation.